The Dark Tower
by Kiki1770
Summary: Au to 5x06. Gwen is rescued by a druid girl before Morgana could fully enchant her. Mab is furious in Morgana's failure and aims to kill the Camelotians. But with Freya's magic failing and being hunted by a vengeful queen, Merlin needs to be stronger than ever to protect his loved ones. Friendships are tested and secrets are revealed. Bamf!Merlin. Reveal Fic. Freylin. Arwen.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello everyone! I wanted to start the new year with a new short story based off a drabble I wrote for my collection** _It's Like Magic. _**I know I promised a one-shot but a short story was better suited for this story. I'm really excited about writing a Freylin heavy story that does not take the attention away from the Merlin-Arthur bromance, so I hope you guys are as well. **

**For those who are familiar with my stories or that will read my future Freylin stories, you will notice that there are quite a few concepts that I might end up repeating. I sort of have a habit of recycling ideas. But the concepts concerning Freya are ideas that I especially like so I hope no one is offending by my doing so. As the story goes on, I will point out what those concepts are. **

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**Chapter 1**

Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop. The Lady's eyes painstakingly flickered open. She blinked, waiting for her eyes to adjust, but it was dark as the back of her eyelids. Confused and dazed, she propped herself onto her elbows. Something wet and crunchy dripped down her cheek. She wrinkled her nose as the vile smell tickled her senses. Mandrake roots, the Lady was easily able to deduce. The smell indicated the mandrakes had been made nearly a week ago; they were at their ripest in power.

She mused that it might have been a dream, but the smell of the dark concoctions and spicy herbs were too vivid; perhaps she was inside a vision? The wretched mandrakes hanging from the ceiling began screeching, shrill like nails against black chalk, shattering her theory. It was no vision or dream. Her heart plunged like it was being ripped from her chest. She hastily covered her ears and began maneuvering around the room. Tears filled her eyes, obscuring what little she could see in the dark room.

"_Leoht,"_ She whispered. The round globe of light grew to life and lazily floated in palm of her hand. The grotesque mandrakes, drenched and coated in a dark potions, hung all around her. The room was spacious, dark, and nearly empty, and there were pillars of moss covered stone all around her.

She realized then that she was not in vision. The Lady, herself, was in the prison surrounded by the darkest of enchantments created by a powerful sorcerer or sorceress; that much was obvious to the Lady. But if the mandrakes were not meant for her, then who?

In the darkest corner of the prison she found the silhouette of a woman, lying limp with her hands covering both ears; her body trembled and shook. The Lady gasped and rushed to the woman's side. Her sphere of light revealed the regal looking gown, and the woman's curly coffee colored hair. Whoever this prisoner was, she was no ordinary prisoner. She must be a princess or courtier, the lady deduced. She felt a rush of pity for the woman for she wasn't magic and couldn't protect herself from the mandrake's shrill cries. She could only imagine how long the woman must have been trapped in her. Perhaps she was not beyond saving.

"Who are you?"The Lady asked, gently placing an arm on the woman. The woman flinched into awareness, and scampered away from the lady. The Lady could finally make out the woman's features as she curled herself into a ball and breathed raggedly as though she had been chocked. The woman's once fair coco butter complexion was covered in dirt, and her warm brown eyes were red and puffy. Those same eyes flickered between the ball of light and back to the Lady.

The Lady gasped in realization. "You are Guinevere Pendragon. The Once and Future Queen of Camelot," She whispered, and mentally berated herself for not realizing earlier. Guinevere's eyes widened in fear and she pulled away as far as she could from the Lady.

"You're not real. You are another one of those spirits. You're not real," Guinevere chanted like a mantra trying to console her fears. A soft smile settled on the Lady's face—only the Once and Future Queen could resist the mandrake's spell for so long. The Lady's respect for the queen grew tenfold.

"I assure you, my Queen, I am as real as you are." She replied in soft soothing tones. Guinevere's roaming eyes finally settled on the Lady, there was mistrust in those eyes but also a slight wariness as though she wanted to give the Lady a chance.

"W-what do you want from me?" Guinevere quivered, frightened of what demands the Lady might make. The Lady stared long and hard at the Once and Future Queen, her face contemplative. Whoever had put Guinevere in this dungeon was obviously trying to enchant her with powerful black magic; her captor couldn't have been a mere hegdewitch, she would have to be sorcerer or sorceress on par with the High Priest and Priestess. And as the Queen of Camelot –a kingdom which once hunted Magic like livestock– she was bound to have powerful enemies. Her captor could be anyone.

But the Lady knew that she couldn't dawn on such details at the moment. She could tell that Queen Guinevere had about another day or so before the enchantment took hold. Was this the purpose the Lady's transporting here? Was she supposed to save the queen?

The Lady closed her eyes and allowed the flickers of hesitant memories to creep back into her mind.

_M.M.M_

It had been such a normal day. She'd fulfilled her duties as High Priestess-in-training and had been practicing with her mentor when a sudden chill of forlorn had washed over her. She went to sleep, uneasy; the Vilia had been at her side. Her perturbed nightmare shifted into a vision of great darkness. She tossed and turned, shivering and shaking, the vision completely took over her senses.

She dreamt the death of the Once and Future King at the hands of his wife. The Lady Morgana sat upon the throne of Camelot lashing out at the people, magical and non-magical alike. She heard their screams and cries for help. But it was no use, the King was dead, and his warlock had been reduced to a former shell of himself. Camelot had been savaged and torn apart by civil war.

She saw the Once and Future Queen waste away in a prison, the King's fine knights being tortured into submission and lastly, she saw the face of her beloved warlock, his eyes devoid of all life, wasting away in a hovel.

She woke up screaming in a cold sweat.

_I have to do something. I have to help him._ She hastily rushed to Elders of Avalon–Dryads from the mystical forest of Essetir – who had been training her in the magical arts since she had become bound to the lake. The tree spirits circled the stone altar, engraved in the Old Tongue, covered in ivy and grape wines, the ancient altar served as a sort of oracle for the dryads. The dryads kept watch over the human realm through the millennia. They oversaw the safety of Emrys's domain; the Crystal Cave, the Isle of the Blessed, the ruins of Ashankar's tomb and now the Treacherous Lands. They were under Emrys's protection and were looked after by the Druids.

_"My Lady, we have been expecting you,"_ The soprano-tenor voices rang out in a majestic boom. The sound flooded the altar and tickled the Lady's senses. No matter how many times she had their regal, sage-like voices, she always felt the trembles of euphoria gushing like a river under her skin.

_"Then you know what I've come to ask for,"_ The Lady stated, finally finding her voice.

_"Indeed, young sorceress…"_ An azure glow evolved from the altar, slowly growing and stretching, until the giant sphere of light nearly towered over the Lady. The azure glow turned red, then gold, then blue, then black. The mist cleared and revealed…the Once and Future Queen was dead. In her place was a pawn of the High Priestess Morgana.

_"No! This cannot be. The Queen cannot die,"_ The Lady had exclaimed.

_"Indeed my Lady, she cannot. For if the Queen should perish, so does the Once and Future King, and Emrys with him."_

_"Please, I beg you. Let me save her…"_ The Lady sincerely pleaded, clasping her hands together like in a prayer. The Dryads simultaneously laughed, causing tremors and vibrations to shake the stone altar.

_"Of course my Lady, it is your destiny."_

_"But…my destiny is to be the Lady of the Lake…"_

_"That is but a _part_ of your destiny, young sorceress. Your place is at the Once and Future Queen's side and the side of Emrys…"_

_"But…"_

_"The Prophecies are changing young sorceress, nothing is as you knew it before." _

The Lady chocked a started gasp. The prophecies of the Old were changing…a feat unheard of in the history of the Old Religion. The very prophecies that had been prophesized by Taliesin the Great, the most powerful seer of all time, were changing. The prophecies that foretold the savior of the Old Religion, the beacon of hope, the stories passed from mother to child for many generations….were changing. How could this happen?

_"What must I do?"_

_"It has fallen upon you, young child, to protect the Queen, to save Emrys and the King from themselves…go now child…fulfill your destiny," _

_M.M.M_

The Lady opened her eyes with a sharp intake of air. The Queen's curious eyes silently watched her, waiting, judging, deciding if the Lady was trust worthy or not. The Lady watched her back with equally judging and calculating eyes—_my destiny,_ the Lady thought.

"My name is the Freya, your highness. It is my sworn duty to protect the Once and Future Queen of Camelot. I give you my word Guinevere; I will save you from this prison."

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**Concept 1: ** I simply love the idea of Merlin being the protector of the Once and Future King, and Freya being the protector of the Once and Future Queen. This is a a concept that I will no doubt re-use in the future.

**Review, review, review!**

**Kiki1770**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Phew this actually a ridiculously fast update for me. As I previously mentioned, I originally wrote this fic intending for it to be a one shot so WARNING there are a lot of events that are rushed in this chapter and it's also why the chapters are presently short. After chapter 3, the size of the chapters will probably increase. **

**OH MY GOD! 10 reviews for the first chapter alone? You guys are amazing! I've never gotten such positive feedback for the FIRST chapter of any of my stories! Please continue supporting me like this because it is GREAT motivation for me to continue updating this story!**

**A lot of you really seemed to like the idea of Freya being Gwen's protector, which makes me really happy because I adore Freylin! Many of you asked if Freya and Guinevere will have a really good bond. The answer is yes, but I'm afraid we don't really see the development of the bond in this fic, rather,(SPOILER) you will see a Guinevere who is SUPER protective of Freya hehe even though Freya is supposed to be the protector. **

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Chapter 2

Merlin blew on his hands and rubbed them together to keep warm as he tended to the fire. Beside him, the knights slept restlessly, shivering and shaking in their sleep. He didn't have to be genius to know the cause of their worries. They all wanted to rescue their queen as soon as possible; they'd become so restless that Merlin was forced to put a sleep drafting into their stew so they'd at least have a few hours of sleep._ Geez, _the things he did for his friends…no doubt Arthur would give him the cold shoulder in the morning. But Merlin was used to this sort of the treatment by now. He was used to his best friend no longer treating him like an equal.

In the three years since his marriage to Guinevere, Arthur stopped asking Merlin for his council. It wasn't all so bad, as the queen had a wise head on her shoulders, and she was kind and caring. But she was as merciful as Arthur when it came to the laws of magic. While the number of executions had greatly decreased to only those sorcerers who attacked the crown or the people in anyway, magic was still outlawed in Camelot. In the three years since Arthur began taking council from his wife, he'd unconsciously pushed Merlin further and further away.

Naturally Merlin was always there for Arthur, helping him and saving him from any threat, magical or otherwise, but since Arthur's coronation and marriage, his sense of propriety overruled his heart. Being forced to take the crown at such a young age, and then being betrayed by his own Uncle, Arthur made a code of rules for himself and Camelot. No one could break or was excused from those rules, not even Arthur himself. Among those rules was to treat servants like servants.

Sure, Arthur and Merlin still joked and bantered when it was just the two of them, but the time Merlin was forced into submission far outweighed those times. His words no longer held value to Arthur. It wasn't just Arthur either, since his ascension to King, Arthur depended heavily on the Knight's of the Round Table. And after the incident with the Lamia, the Knights grew distant from Merlin as well.

The gap created between the Knight's and Merlin was fully confirmed during siege of Ismere when he was left to die in the cave after Mordred dragged the King away. Merlin had almost frozen to death before the caves were completely devoid of Knights and prisoners so that he was able to use magic to escape. He spent the next three days dragging himself back to Camelot on his own.

The Knights, and even Gaius, assumed that Merlin was with them the whole time. They never suspected his injuries or disappearance. Arthur, who was present when Merlin was viciously thrown at cave walls by Morgana, seemed to have completely forgotten what Merlin had done for him. No, Arthur was too busy investing personal training in his newest knight and "savior" Mordred.

Mordred was Arthur's bane. That was a fact that Merlin would remember. He would never let his perception of the new Mordred deter that. It was confirmed when the Disir had kept Mordred alive. Why would the witches bother killing Arthur when he was destined to die at Mordred's hand anyway?

Merlin had many great mistakes in his life, ones that the people he loved always seemed to pay for, but to convince Arthur there was no room for magic in Camelot and letting Mordred live…that was it for Merlin. He messed up, and this time no amount of magic could heal the rift he had created between the Once and Future King and himself.

_Emrys…Emrys….Emyrs…._

Merlin's senses jolted to awareness. He used his magic to feel around for the source of the voice in his head, trying to determine if it was malicious or friendly. But he felt warmth…the warmth of healing magic. _By gods_, it was severely misplaced in this forest full of misery and fear. Merlin followed the call without hesitation.

Buried under a log, was a tiny sliver of a stream of water. It wasn't until droplets rose into the dark sky that Merlin suspected it was magic. He rolled back on his haunches. A pale face appeared in the droplets.

"Vilia?" He whispered in disbelief, and then more panicked, "What are you doing here? This forest is dangerous for your kind!" The Vilia were kindred spirits with powerful healing magic. Their magic was pure and full of light just like Merlin's. But unlike he, who had a physical body to shield him from the darkness of the forest, the Vilia were completely susceptible to the dark magic.

"We have come with a message, Lord Emrys," The Vilia's voice twinkled like an omniscient lullaby, soothing but solemn in tone. "But we cannot remain in Mab's region of long.

"The prophecies are changing Emrys. The time of Magic's acceptance has been delayed. It has become Arthur Pendragon's destiny to die at the hands of the Once and Future Queen."

"No!" Merlin exclaimed without thinking. Blood pounded in his ears as the thought of Arthur's death shook his heart with fear. How could Guinevere, kind and sweet Gwen, cause Arthur's death? "That cannot happen! There must be a way to stop this!"

"There is young warlock, and the solution is a very simple one. The bond between King and Warlock must be repaired." The Vilia replied. Merlin felt the color drain out of his face. There was no way he could do that! Arthur was changed! He wasn't the same clotpole he was when Merlin first began working for him. It was impossible…but he had to do it didn't he?

"H-how do I do that?"

"We cannot say, my lord. Now you must hurry Emrys, for dawn is almost upon us. Remember in a forest filled with misery and greed: _left is right and right is left. The way behind is the way ahead._ You have a powerful mind's eye Emrys. You must use it." The Vilia warned and slowly began sinking into the stream. "You have many trails ahead Emrys and when the time comes, you will be forced to make the ultimate decision. Heed our warnings and act according for otherwise one of you shall not return."

"What do you mean? Who will not return?" Merlin adamantly questioned the Vilia, but it was to no avail. The Vilia were gone and the water seeped back into the soil. Merlin cursed and tried to reach out for them with his magic but it was no use. He walked back to the camp and settled into his bedding beside Arthur.

_She must not die Emrys…_ was the last thing Merlin's mind registered before sleep swept him from this world. It was also the first thought he remembers when Arthur oh so dutifully woke him up with a kick to the stomach and a "You'll pay for this later idiot." Arthur seemed to be in foul mood after that, but Merlin's mind was too occupied with the Villia's warning to cheer the King up. He acknowledged that the Vilia had in fact left him a lot more clues than certain blasted lizards but still no clear instructions what so ever.

Merlin had no bloody idea what to think. He absentmindedly followed the Knights through their rushed morning routine, and allowed Arthur to harshly berate him for the sleep draft. They quest was to be resumed immediately. He followed them silently wondering what the new prophecies were. What was the catalyst that resulted in _prophecies_ (One's that had been written since the beginning of time) to be changed so simply?

_The time of Magic's acceptance in Camelot has been delayed…_

The epiphany sent a jolt of shock and mortification through Merlin. He did this…he messed everything up. _He _told Arthur there was no room for magic in Camelot. _He_ became distant and subservient when Arthur was crowned King and magic had not returned. _He _destroyed the bond between _King and Warlock_. Merlin really messed up.

"Wait!" Arthur suddenly halted the garrison of soldiers. He held up a tiny piece of bright red fabric that clung to the thorny vines in the forest. He looked to the Knights for recognition. Sir Gwaine lifted his cloak, revealing an identical hole in his cloak to the piece of fabric in the king's hands. Arthur hissed and thrust his sword into the ground. "We have gone around in a circle. We have wasted _an entire day_!" He shouted at no one in particular. He collapsed onto a stray log his face contorted with grief. Merlin sensed that Arthur was barely keeping it together in front of his knights. He had to do something.

_You must mend the bond between King and Warlock…..you've a powerful mind's eye Emrys. You must use it…_

"I made you a promise, Arthur. We _will_ find her," Merlin responded slowly, when the knights had gone silent at the King's defeated expression. He saw Arthur flinch and stare at his boots in shame. Merlin bit his lip. He needed Arthur to see that he would always be there for him, to protect him, to guide him, to be his friend. He needed Arthur to believe in him. "We will bring her home."

"You're right." Arthur abruptly stood up, giving Merlin's shoulder a quick squeeze. Merlin felt his heart warm. Arthur was giving him a chance. He felt that a bit of their old relationship had come back. His maniacal cheeky grin was rewarded with an eye roll from Arthur. Maybe Merlin was imagining it, but he thought he detected a bit of amazement in the king's cobalt eyes. But it was just his imagination right? Unbeknownst to him, the knights shared a similar expression. "We must find the clearing where we saw the Dark Tower."

"Which way is that?" Elyan questioned.

"North," Merlin blurted without thinking. "Please. I know I can get us there. I wouldn't do anything to risk Gwen's life. I can get us to the Dark Tower, I'm certain." A look of doubt passed through the eyes of knights. Merlin wanted crawl into a hole. This was it…the Knight's had forgotten they once used to believe in and trusted Merlin's judgment, that his word was more than just the word of a servant. It hurt but he was partially to blame for that wasn't he? "I know what Gwen means to you, to all of us, we need to head north."

"And which way is that Merlin?" Arthur asked almost incredulously, a shared look of disbelief passed between them.

"That way" Merlin instinctively pointed in the right direction.

"No it's…" Arthur slowly drawled and then checked which way the sun cast the shadow from the hilt of his sword. "over there…and how on Earth would you know that?"

"Trust me." Merlin grinned almost cheekily. The Vilia's words bounced around his head. They were right, the solution was very simple. He needed to mend the bend. He needed to show Arthur who he really was. After all, it was the secrets that tore their bond in the first place. If that was so, then the truth must be the answer to repairing the bond. He received a nod of approval from Gwaine and Elyan who had decided to give him a chance. Merlin stared at Arthur long and hard and slowly saw a faint smile stretch across the king's face. Arthur nodded.

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**Concept 2: I found that in Season 5, Merlin seemed much gloomier and that he couldn't talk to Arthur as freely as he had in the previous seasons. And I personally think that when Arthur and Guinevere's relationship began to develop, Merlin and Arthur started to drift. As much as I love the Guinevere/Arthur romance, I don't like taking the attention away from the Merlin/Arthur bromance. I hope to salvage that in this story. **

**Review, review, review! (I'd love to hear your opinions on this)**

**Kiki1770**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Geez, this chapter was a real Witch to edit, but I guess I shouldn't complain. I've had SIX snow days this January. Crazy right? **

**Once again, 11 REVIEWS! You guys are crazy generous! Thank you so much for all your epic support! I could the general outline of this story done, I don't know how many chapter it will be, but it definitely turned out to be much longer than what I originally planned. Once again, it seemed a lot of people noticed that Merlin and Arthur drifted in Season 5. I'm glad I'm not the only one that thought so. I thought the whole season seemed gloomier because the two of them weren't as close anymore. Oh well, at least I got my fanfics to fix that huh? **

**I forgot to do this in the first chapter, so I'll do it now.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin in anyway, all rights go to BBC. **

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Chapter 3

Merlin paused to flash Arthur a pleased smirk as if to say "See, you need me too, you clotpole." The feeling of knowing that Arthur trusted him was incomparable. He decided that he wanted to hold onto this feeling, keep it close and remember to win back Arthur's trust.

Starting with finding Gwen, Merlin concentrated the magic in his eyes, and took off in the correct direction this time. He made sure that he always stayed a few feet in front of the patrol, diving under low branches and flying over decaying stumps. His eyes searched for their tracks from yesterday. It wasn't long before they passed Percival's broken hilt; the Knights looked at Merlin in astonishment and picked up their pace dramatically.

Merlin, Arthur, Leon, Gwaine, Elyan, and Percival stumbled onto the ridge that showed the first real glimpse of the tower that Queen Guinevere had been abducted too. After restlessly fighting their way through vicious looking thorns and wines, they'd finally found it. _I did it_, Merlin thought, astonished.

"Well done Merlin, let's keep going," Arthur patted Merlin's back and gestured for him to lead the way. The flutter of happiness in Merlin's heart would have to be pondered upon much later. He continued stressing his eyes to look forward, stifling small gasps of pain. He could deal with that later.

Merlin saw flashed of the path ahead, there was broken tree stump, an ash grey tree with gnarly wines wrapped around it, a patch of fern and then, there were bright rays of sunlight. Merlin pulled back with a muffled gasp and shot forward before knights could question his reaction. First the wines disappeared, and then the ivy trees slowly faded into small maples. The hot sun beat down on them as they finally passed through the last stretch of scorched trees.

Merlin abruptly stopped running and was blinded by the brilliant sunlight bouncing off the golden desert. He caught his first real glimpse of the tower of nightmares. The whole tower permeated a dark aura that reeked of black magic and he feel its dark seduction trying control his mind. The magic caught him off guard and for a moment he thought he was going to be possessed.

Then he found himself falling to the forest floor, as the knights had all run into and tumbled over his small body.

"Oomph" Merlin gasped as they all lay in pile in the clearing. Arthur laughed into Merlin's ears and proudly called him an idiot before they rolled off one by one. Gwaine clapped Merlin's back and called him a genius, Leon nodded at him with a rekindled respect, Elyan's dark eyes reflected how grateful he was, and Percival's silent appreciation didn't go missed. Just like that…the lost bond between he, the knights, and Arthur seemed to smooth over even if only by a little.

"We must make way to the tower without delay," Arthur reasoned in his authoritative voice after the knights had taken a quick water break. "If we mean to save Gwen as soon possible, we must get to the tower before sun down. I've only heard rumors but…it seems these deserts come alive with, err, magical beast at sign of the moonlight. Ready your arms gentl-"

"Arthur look!" Elyan interrupted Arthur's speech and all eyes flew to the direction Elyan was pointing. Merlin, who had the best vision of them all, was able to make out the outline of two women. One was garbed in a brilliant violet colored dress with mocha skin and vivacious locks of curly brown hair; the other figure was completely covered in a black cloak with not a hint of skin showing, if it wasn't for her curvy outline it would be hard tell if she was woman it all. As they walked a bit closer a realization dawned on them.

"It's Gwen!" Arthur exclaimed. He drew his sword out and began running. Leon and the others copied the gesture and began running towards the queen. Merlin's eyes were momentarily frozen on the black cloaked figure beside Gwen. What was Morgana doing out here? He didn't have time to think as Arthur shouted his name. Merlin began running.

The shouts of "Guinevere," and "My lady," were loud and frantic as the knights tried to capture the queen's attention. It seemed that it worked. Gwen twitched at the noises at first, but when she was close enough to make out the screams and the figures garbed in the brilliant scarlet red cloaks of Camelot, she began running.

"Arthur!" They heard Guinevere's voice echoing across the desert plane. She dove into Arthur's arms without hesitation and peppered the side of his face with small kisses, a happy trail of tears falling down her cheeks. It was impossible not to notice Gwen's disheveled wavy hair or the bags of sleeplessness in her eyes. Worst of all it was hard not to notice the pale withdraw color of her once healthy skin. Merlin didn't want to imagine the horror she'd been put through, not when he could see her so safely tucked into Arthur's arms.

Arthur held Guinevere tightly; the two were lost in their embrace for a moment longer before the knights caught up to Arthur. Arthur, Leon and the other were so wrapped up in checking over the queen, they didn't notice the hooded figure quietly approaching until she was right in front of them. Arthur let out an angry growl and covered his wife protectively. Merlin took his place at Arthur's side glaring fierce daggers at Morgana, and the knights all stood poised with their swords ready.

The hooded figure threw a hand out in front of her and sent all their swords flying a good hundred meters from where the stood. Merlin tensed when he felt the powerful magic radiating from Morgana and at the realization that Arthur was currently defenseless.

"Morgana!" Arthur growled. "You've a lot of nerve kidnapping my wife and then showing your face like this!" The hooded figure flinched and seemed to take a step back. Gwen, who was thrown into a turmoil the moment Arthur protectively stood in from of her, pushed her husband aside and stood protectively over the hooded figure.

"Stop it Arthur! She's not Morgana. _She saved me_ from Morgana!" Guinevere pleaded and pulled the hooded woman behind her. They stood in shock, a maelstrom of emotions flickered in Arthur's eyes: confusion, suspicion, fear, disgust, anger, worry. It was hard to miss. Merlin was just as frozen as his friend; his eyes never left the hooded figure. He wanted to use his magic to probe her, but if it was Morgana, his cover would be blown.

"Even if she isn't Morgana, she has magic Gwen. Do not be deceived. She probably captured you from Morgana just to use you against me!" Arthur shouted, panic finally taking over him. Gwen still hovered protectively over the hooded figure not budging an inch, and suddenly, Guinevere was glaring at them. But it wasn't anger in her eyes; it was pity.

"Y-you don't understand Arthur. You don't even try to." The queen whispered softly, trembling as her eyes became glassy with tears. Arthur and Merlin found themselves lowering their protective stance, speechless. The knight's attention was no longer on their mysterious hooded figure, but on their queen. Guinevere was a strong woman, one of the strongest women they'd ever known. Yet here she was, lowering her guard and earnestly protecting the sorceress. Guinevere looked tired and frightened of course, but the knight's saw the Queen at her core, they saw in her the qualities that made her queen in the first place. They saw her fierce honesty and compassion.

Gwen took a shaky breath, but there was no hesitation in her voice as she spoke with her heart. "M-Morgana did kidnap me. She had me locked in the t-tower for two days ,and there were these…things handing from the ceiling…screaming and crying. I-It was awful Arthur! Absolutely awful!" She cried, gentle tears rolling down her face as she relived her horrifying memory.

"For two days, I saw nothing but the images of you, Elyan, and Merlin; I thought you were there to free me, to save me, but y-you laughed in my face, you taunted." Gwen shivered and wrapped her arms around her torso, her gaze lowered. "I was nearly put under Morgana's enchantment when _she_ saved me."

"Why would a sorceress save a Pendragon? She must be plotting something. You might be under her enchantment, my lady," Leon quipped. Gwen shook her head before he finished talking. But neither Leon nor Arthur paid mind to her protest.

"Whether she saved you are not, she has magic, and by the laws of Camelot she must be sentenced to die." Arthur replied emotionlessly. He didn't take pleasure in this but he wasn't going to take the chance that this sorceress might be enchanting his wife.

"There's no room for magic in Camelot," The cold words hung in the air like a storm cloud. No one noticed the hooded figure or Merlin both flinch at the same time. "And there never will be."

"I know you Arthur. You're not a cruel man. She saved my life. That must elicit a sort of pardon…" Guinevere was convincing no one. In last desperate attempt she exchanged a look with the hooded figure and back to Arthur.

"She's a druid Arthur. You took an oath that their kind wouldn't be hunted any longer. Look here, she is a druid." She said, grabbing the hooded figures arm and rolled back the cloak to reveal a pale slender feminine arm with a black swirling druidic symbol tattooed on her wrist. "If you still cannot put your trust in my savoir, then put it in me Arthur. She will not harm us and I will not let any harm come to her either."

Arthur looked torn. His eyes flickered to Merlin, the knights, to Gwen and then the hooded figure. He never really had a choice did he? How could he refuse Guinevere after all? He had never seen her persist so strongly about anything. No, he still couldn't trust the sorceress, but he would trust Gwen. He knew the look in her eyes all too well to believe she was under an enchantment. Maybe…just maybe…he could give her a chance.

"A-alright." Arthur whispered half resigned. Gwen's eyes lit up in blissful happiness and sprung forward to hug her husband. Arthur sighed but smiled softly into her hug. He then turned his steely blue eyes to address the hooded figure.

"On request of the Queen, no harm shall come to till we reach the boarders of Camelot. After that…I can't answer for my actions. Is that understood?" The hooded figure nodded her head. "Good. Now remove your cloak. Slowly! If I have even the slightest doubt that you mean us harm I will strike you down."

The woman slowly removed the hood of her cloak. She revealed her pale other worldly beauty, her soft heart shaped face, warm chocolate colored eyes, and lips as plump and red as strawberries. Her eyes held a kind crinkle and her lips a sweet calm expression. Above her long tresses of ravenous black hair sat a tiny silver band of holly leaves and red berries. She was an astonishingly beautiful sight.

The knights were so enraptured by her beauty they didn't notice the _zing_ of sword being pulled out of its sheath until it was pointed at the sorceresses face.

_"Who. Are. You?"_

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**Uh-oh! Who picked up the sword?**

**Concept 3: I always wondered what would happen if someone Arthur loved very much like Gwen or Morgana in the beginning, had told Arthur to give Magic a chance? Arthur believed in it on his own once right? So that's why, rather than Merlin, I wanted Gwen to be the first supporter of Magic in this story. **

**And oh look, my first shot at some Arwen, hehe.**

**Review, review, review!**

**Kiki1770**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: OMG, considering I had this chapter half written already, I'm quite embarrassed it took me so long to complete it.**

**You guys are without a doubt the most wonderful reviewers in the world! Thank you again, and as always, for such wonderful reviews and comments! I'm glad that you liked my Arwen moment. This story's genre is Romance/Adventure so expect plenty of Freylin/Arwen in the future! Here is the long awaited fourth installment of ****_The Dark Tower_****. **

**P.S. This is my first time writing action/romance together in this combination so I hope everyone will give me feed back to make sure my scenes are coherent. **

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Chapter 4

"_Who. Are. You." _An angry snarl escaped his manservant who was now pointing the extra sword Arthur always carried at the sorceress. Guinevere lunged forward to put herself between Merlin and the sorceress but Arthur held her back. He shot Merlin a questioning look, he was never like this. But Merlin was beyond infuriated. Arthur nor Gwaine or Elyan and Percival had ever seen such an expression on the manservant's face, he looked almost murderous. "Did Morgana send you?" He sneered.

"Merlin…"The sorceress whispered in a soft almost twinkling voice. Arthur immediately drew out a dagger from his boot. This was a trap after all. How else would a sorceress know Merlin's name? "Please Merlin…put the sword down."

"Answer my question," Merlin growled his voice low and deadly.

"It's me, Merlin. It's Freya…" She replied softly, her warm eyes never leaving the manservant. Arthur looked between the two of them baffled. Did they know each other? He looked at Gwaine, Merlin's closest friend besides Arthur, and then Gwen, they seemed just as baffled as he did. To their surprise, Merlin threw his head back, and a humorless cackle followed.

"Does Morgana still think I'm an idiot? You're not her."

"But I am!"

"I don't believe you." Merlin whispered, his voice suddenly becoming shaky. The sword in Merlin's hand began trembling. Arthur saw the tormented look on Merlin's pale weary face. It looked as though he was being crushed by some magnificent burden and all Arthur could do was watch. He placed a hand on Merlin's shoulder to let him know he was there for him. But Merlin's eyes remained on the sor-Freya. The woman's eyes suddenly turned steely and sharp.

The Knights poised in a position ready to attack, but all she did was step closer to Merlin's sword. "You must believe me, Merlin. Please." She pleaded. Her eyes looked so genuine and sorrowful. She was a good actress, Arthur thought to himself. Merlin shook his head almost reluctantly like he was still battling some inner debate. Freya sighed resignedly and slowly curled her fingers around the tip of the sword.

"What are you doing?" Merlin gasped. There was a sickening squish and a steady stream of red blood dripped down her wrist. Freya gasped from the pain but seemed to be fighting back tears.

"Freya, let go, you're bleeding!" Guinevere pleaded. Freya shook her head and watched Merlin carefully. What on earth was going on? Arthur watched the sorceress with dumbfound eyes. Why was she so determined to prove herself? How does Merlin know her?

"Freya…let go," Merlin mumbled his eyes spinning at the sight of her blood. Freya shook her head again, and more blood dripped down her arm. It was all Merlin could do to watch the beady red droplets fall to the dry dessert grounds, and absorbed into barren land.

"Say you believe me." Freya whispered back steadily. The sword began quivering in Merlin's grip again, a panicky expression dancing in his eyes. But he seemed resolved.

"I-I believe you, now please let go of the sword." Merlin shakily admitted. Arthur exchanged vary glances with Leon who had edged forward through the confrontation. He shook his head at his first knight, they were not to interfere. That Merlin and the sorceress knew each other was obvious; but the knights were defenseless, and the only weapon was in the hands of Merlin and the Sorceress, to fight her would be a fool hardy move.

Freya seemed to believe Merlin; her face lit up and a small smile formed on her lips. She released her grip on the sword. Merlin's actions were immediate, no sooner had the sword fell to the desert floor with a clatter, had Merlin began examine the sorceress's hand. "Why are you so reckless?" He gasped.

"If it meant you'd believe me, I'd do it again, Merlin," She whispered in tone that could only be described as endearing. It seemed misplaced on an evil sorceress of her caliber, Arthur thought. Her unnervingly serene gaze fell on himself and his Knights. Arthur stiffened; this was it, she was going to attack.

But to Arthur's surprise, the woman had gently pulled her hand out of Merlin's. "You can look at it later Merlin. We need to get out– "

**_BOOM! _**The earth shook like it had been torn apart at its core and the sand sucked them in with ease. Guinevere stumbled into Arthur's arms, they managed to stay up right, but Elyan, Leon, and Gwaine weren't so lucky. They stumbled forward at the impact.

"What the hell was that?" Arthur cried, helping Gwaine and Leon to their feet. For whatever reason, he looked to Merlin for an answer. His manservant however wasn't even looking at him, his eyes were wide with shock and his skin paled over as beads of sweat rolled from his brow. The sorceress had adorned a similar expression; neither of them was looking at Arthur though. Their eyes were glued to the direction of the trembling noises. Arthur braced himself, but the sight he saw was one he could never prepare for.

"T-That's impossible…" Gwen whispered, clinging to his arm for support. Arthur couldn't respond; how could he have predicted such an unconceivable phenomenon?

The Dark Tower, the tower of nightmares and misfortune, crumbled to dust like an old parchment touching sunlight after centuries. They watched the tower shatter and each floor after it clatter to the desert floor like broken pottery as billows of dark smoke rose to the skies. The sound of its rumbles filled the dead silence and within moments the rugged stone was sucked under the sand.

"What the hell was that?" Arthur cried, being the first to recover from the shock. He looked around to see equally bewildered eyes around him. His eyes landed suspiciously at the sorceress, his fingers itched to draw his sword as his gaze burned holes into Freya. But Freya didn't seem to notice at all, her eyebrows were scrunched together in confusion as she stared at the devastation.

"That's not possible…" Freya whispered softly under her breath, her hand unconsciously latched onto Merlin's. Arthur gritted his teeth and quickly questioned his knights to make sure they were okay. Freya and Merlin seemed to be the only ones who were truly affected by the tower's collapse.

"What is it?" Arthur finally asked Merlin impatiently. His manservant was wearing an expression like he was seeing the Dorocha for the first time.

"M-Morgana is not powerful enough to create this sort of destruction," Merlin practically breathed the answer. Arthur felt a cold shiver run up his spine as the implications of Merlin's words hit him. If Morgana didn't cause that tower to collapse, then who ever did, was _way_ more powerful than his half-sister. But now wasn't the time for speculation.

"We have to get out here." Arthur decided, and then in a hushed tone he quickly delayed his order, "Leon, Elyan, retrieve the swords. Gwaine, you and Percival are to _guard_ the sorceress till we get out of here. _Do not lower your guard!_" He practically hissed. His knights snapped to attention and followed as were instructed. Arthur then turned to his wife; she wasn't at his side but Freya's.

"Freya, what is it? You look like you've seen a ghost…" Guinevere asked her worriedly.

"M-Merlin's right you're highness…the only sorcerer alive capable of destroying such dark magic is Emrys…but if it wasn't Lady Morgana then—" Freya's speculation was cut off by the trembling earth below them and what sounded like the space where the tower had stood growled and was closed in by a tidal wave of desert sand. The rattling sound grew and the entire desert shifted and crumbled under their feet.

"What's happening?" Elyan asked panicked.

"Arthur!" Gwen cried, terrified. Arthur watched in horror as Gwen started to sink below the sand. Sinking…the earth wasn't shifting underneath them, it was sucking them in, like…quicksand. The color drained out of Arthur's face.

"We have to get out of here! The deserts turned to quicksand!" Arthur warned, and struggled to get his foot out of the sand.

"Sire, grab on!" Percival offered him an arm and pulled Arthur forward. He managed to get close enough to Guinevere and pull her out a little, but the sand was sucking them in far too fast. There was chaos as Gwaine and Leon shouted instructions back and forth and fought to get Arthur and Gwen out by tying their capes together to pull the King and Queen higher above the sand. But their efforts were futile as the knights themselves were being sucked under.

Amidst the panic, Arthur managed to catch a glimpse of Merlin…he was perfectly fine. He was standing atop the sand with the sorceress at his arms, trying to make his way towards Arthur. How, how is it possible that Freya and Merlin where the only ones who weren't sinking. Unless…

"You!" Arthur snarled, drawing out his sword with a sharp _zing_. "Cease this magic at once or forfeit your life!" Rage boiled under Arthur's skin. This must have been her plan all along. Why didn't Arthur see it? Freya only saved Guinevere because she knew it was the only she could get to Merlin. The bloody sorceress was after his manservant!

"Arthur stop! I don't believe Freya is the cause of this!" His wife tried to plead.

"Look at her Guinevere! She is the only one unaffected by this magic." He hissed and turned back to Freya. "Stop this at once. I swear I won't hesitate to kill you."

"King Arthur, I cannot stop what I did not create. My magic is simply holding us above the sand at the moment. " Freya explained cryptically, her eyes flickering to Merlin's expressionless face. "I believe this is Queen Mab's doing…she must have found out that Morgana's plan failed."

"Who is this Queen Mab?" Elyan asked difficultly, starting feel the weight of his armor drag him down. Freya frowned.

"I promise I'll answer your questions later, please, for now take my hand and allow me to bring us out of this quicksand." Freya stretched her hand out, waiting for Arthur to take it.

Could he trust her? Arthur's mind spun as voices from distant memories filtered through his thoughts. He heard his father's voice telling him over and over that magic was evil and that sorcerers were not to be trusted. He heard his own voice as an adolescent who'd just seen his first execution and began to question his father's beliefs. He thought about everything that had happened to him since Merlin entered his life.

Arthur had seen it all. He'd seen magic used for malicious intent, to kill, to destroy, and to raze entire kingdoms. He'd seen the ruthlessness of sorcerers who cared for nothing more than their petty revenge. He'd seen Camelot attacked by dragons, griffins, gargoyles and immortal armies. He'd been deceived by magic for as long as he could remember, his uncle, his sister, Morgause, even his own father had lied to him about magic.

And yet, he had seen it used for good. There was that unmistakable blue orb that guided him out of caves of Balor. The innocent unicorn he'd killed without knowing of the consequences. The druids used magic and Arthur knew from experience that they were good, peaceful people. This Freya person was a druid too, wasn't she?

Arthur sincerely hoped that this was all a dream and that he'd wake up in Camelot with his queen by his side, his servant with his breakfast, and his knights on the training grounds.

He couldn't believe he was doing this. He gave Freya a sharp scrutinizing glare. "You give me one reason not to trust you and I run you through where you stand," He threatened. Ignoring the proud look on Guinevere's face, he turned to his knights. "Let's head out."

He took the sorceress's hand with one hand, and Guinevere's with the other. And for the first time in his life, Arthur experienced the sensation of having the golden magic wash over him…it felt a gentle tidal wave. How deceptive, Arthur shook his head.

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**Wow, everyone, and I mean ****_everyone_**** guessed that it was Merlin who picked up the sword! Haha, I must be more predictable than I thought. I know things were a bit rushed in this chapter, and they might be like that in the next one as well, but all unanswered questions will be explained very soon!**

**Concept 4: This isn't really a concept but more like a comment, the idea of this entire story began with the scene of Freya hold the blade of a sword, bleeding badly, while asking Merlin to believe that she is the real thing. I was so happy to finally write that. **

**Review, review, review, and Happy Belated Valentine's Day!**

**Kiki1770**


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